We set off out of town, following a not-so-correct hand drawn map and taking in the strange scenery. We soon arrived at a river at least 15cm deep that cut across our path. We wondered along its edge looking for the easiest place to cross. I thought I saw a shallow crossing that I could simply ride across. Without telling the others I raced into the water and got stuck right in the deepest part. I was forced to put my feet in the water to balance the bicycle; otherwise I would have completely toppled over. I got to the other side with absolutely drenched shoes and socks. I took them off and hung them at the front of my bicycle to dry as I watched the others smartly take off their shoes and socks before entering the water and then put them back on once at the other side. We all had a good laugh at my expensive and I ended up riding for the next bit with bare feet, which was actually quite nice in the on-coming heat.
On we ventured until the path entered into a strange canon and we had to pull our bicycles up the rocks to continue. Once inside, we speed along not knowing where the path was leading us. We zigzagged in and out of rocks, sometimes having to duck our heads, sometimes zooming up a steep rock only to zoom back down the other side. It was loads of fun but the pain in my bottom was gradually getting worse and the heat was soon becoming unbearable. As we didn't know how far the canon went on for we decided to turn back and follow another path in the aim of making the most of the bicycle hire before the sun made it impossible to continue.
We rode until we saw a small mud church sitting lonely upon a hill. We rested in its shade and poured as much water as possible into our bodies. As we set off back home, we noticed my seat was really low, in fact too low and that was probably why I was in so much pain. A lower seat means you put all your pressure on your bottom and your legs do a lot more hard work in cycling. Well, we put my seat up and it made such a difference in riding.
Back at the hostel we flopped onto our bed exhausted and fell asleep until lunchtime, after which we had planned to take a tour. Our dread locked tour guide took us out to Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley). This valley begins as a canon but once more inside you suddenly come across these giant dunes towering above you. With a snowboard in hand, we sweated our way up the top of a dune only to surf back down in an instance. Up and down we went for a few hours (all this after having rode a bicycle for the last 5 hours) and it was a heap of fun. The trick is to step in other people's footprints as you walk up the dune and once up top you sit for a while taking in the scenery and getting your breath back, then you launch forward, balancing with your bent knees and outstretched arms. And the best thing about sandboarding is that the sand is so comfy to land on when you fall, and we certainly all fell!
With sand in every knock and cranny of our clothes and bodies we got back into the van and headed to check out some salt caves. You see, the Atacama Desert used to be at the bottom of the sea and so salt is engrained in every part of the landscape. The now-non-existent water had also shaped the rocks into strange forms and as you walk through them you can't help but think you are walking on the Moon or maybe even Mars.
Finally we headed to Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley) where we literally climbed up the cliff to get the best view for the most spectacular sun set. As the sun said goodbye for the day, the rocks gleamed with red and orange and the sky softly turned into shades of pink and blue. We sat there in owe or with our fingers clicking away on a camera and drank Pisco Sour.
Once back in town we headed straight to the comfort of our beds and the warmth of our many blankets. It wasn't until the next day that we really felt in our bodies how much we had done the day previous.
No comments:
Post a Comment